Eastern Dutchess' winter storm warning was scheduled to begin midnight Friday and last until 3 a.m. Saturday. Western Dutchess is under a winter weather advisory for the same time period.

Heavy amounts of precipitation are in the forecast, though temperatures will determine if it comes down as rain or snow. The county will also be under a flood watch 7 a.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday.

The weather service is forecasting snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches in Poughkeepsie, with wind gusts that could exceed 45 mph. Precipitation was expected to begin Thursday night.

"There's quite a bit of uncertainty," weather service meteorologist Joe Villani said. "We might see a dusting or we might see five to six inches. The temperature is so critical in determining if and when precipitation" will be snow or rain.

The wind is expected to increase in the afternoon. The high in Poughkeepsie is forecast to approach 40 degrees.

A slight chance of rain could remain Saturday morning, before partly cloudy conditions throughout the weekend.

The high temperature on Wednesday reached 60 degrees at Hudson Valley Regional Airport, and the high Thursday was expected to be in the mid-50s.

Central Hudson released a statement in preparation for the storm, stating "with the potential for high wind gusts and heavy, wet snow ... storm conditions have the potential to cause service interruptions."

The company recommended customers prepare for the storm by doing such things as charging electronic devices, having a flashlight and battery-powered radio handy, and keeping emergency supplies of bottled water and non-perishable food handy.